Mamata Banerjee Wants Hill To Smile

Darjeeling:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returned to Darjeeling hills after eight months and called the political parties to work together to ensure development and peace in the region.

On Thursday, after having the all meeting, WB CM Mamata Benerjee meets the press and asked for peace into the hills area. On the coming months March and May , two another meeting is going to held by the West Bengal Govt at Kalimpong.

Speaking after the rechristening, she said: “I urge all the political parties to work together for development and peace in Darjeeling hills.” She also indicated that the semi-autonomous Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Board of Administrators (BoA) may soon be regularized and given all powers akin to the previous chapter of GTA headed by the Chief Minister’s bête noire Bimal Gurung, who heads one of the two factions of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

Banerjee said Darjeeling is an inseparable part of India and the state, and development in the Hills can only be ushered in if everyone works together for peace. “All of us should work together if the cause is good. Darjeeling can develop, but for that we all need to combine our efforts and ensure that there is peace here,” she said.

The hills had erupted in 108-day-long Gorkhaland agitation when the Chief Minister was last in Darjeeling conducting a cabinet meeting on June 8 last year. A lot of water has flown down Teesta and Rangit rivers since then. Twelve lives have been lost during the agitation. GJM has become divided, Binay Tamang has been made GTA BoA chairman and Bimal Gurung is still on the run and wanted in several cases including Unlawful Activies (Prevention) Act, murder, riot and arson.